The requirement for racecourses to disinfect the publi?_x0019_s vehicles has been removed at certain venues, one of three aspects of the BHB/Jockey Club Foot and Mouth Disease Instructions and Guidelines to have been lifted with immediate effect.

After consultation with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), BHB is pleased to be able to announce these amendments while stressing the importance of observing the other procedures, which continue to be rigorously enforced.

BHB and the Jockey Club will maintain appropriate pressure on DEFRA for further changes to disinfection measures, provided that the outbreak does not appreciably worsen.

The agreed amendments are:

* Disinfection of General Public’s Vehicles (Instructions and Guidelines page 4, Disinfection “Flow Chart”; Section 3.2):

The requirement to disinfect all vehicles belonging to the general public as they enter racecourse property on racedays has been removed for all racecourses which are outside DEFRA-designated Infected Areas. Those racecourses inside an Infected Area, which is defined as a radius not less than 10km around an infected premises, must adhere to the existing requirements.

At the time of writing, the following racecourses fall within Infected Areas and must therefore continue to disinfect public vehicles:

Carlisle
Haydock Park
Sedgefield
Cartmel
HexhamThirsk
Catterick
Newcastle
Worcester

DEFRA has requested that horseboxes and pedestrians’ shoes continue to be disinfected at all racecourses.

* Overnight Stabling (Sections 1.3 & 3.7):

The provision of pre-racing overnight stabling for horses (whether for a Flat or Jump meeting) is no longer suspended but is now at the discretion of Clerks of the Course at each racecourse. Where it is provided, racecourses must still carry out the full disinfection procedures on the horseboxes and collect Certificates of Compliance. Veterinary Officers no longer need to be in attendance when vehicles arrive the day before racing, but they may do so on an ad hoc basis.

A list of the trainers sending runners overnight, together with their estimated time of arrival, must still be sent by the racecourse to Peter Webbon, the Jockey Club’s Chief Veterinary Adviser, and the Jockey Club Racecourse Department by 2pm the day before racing.

* Equine Events (Section 3.6):

The embargo on racecourses staging an “equine event” in the 30 days prior to a race meeting has been lifted. However, racecourses must still inform the Jockey Club Racecourse Department in the usual way (Jockey Club General Instruction 3.1) when such an event is planned, and the staging of the event will be dependent on the organisers being able to meet the requirements of DEFRA’s Veterinary Risk Assessment No. 14 (see website www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth).

If the organisers/participants are not affiliated to the British Equestrian Federation, the responsibility for fully complying with the necessary procedures rests with the Racecourse Executive.

For further information, please contact Paul Greeves, BHB Racing Director, on 020 7343 3303 or Alan Delmonte, BHB Communications Manager, on 020 7343 3318.

Note

Carlisle and Catterick are the only courses unable to race at present because they fall within a Protection Zone, defined as a radius of 3km around an infected premises.